The present invention relates generally to floor mats. In particular, the present invention relates to anti-fatigue floor mats which generally are known for their anti-slip properties but may be slid, repositioned and adjusted without the necessity of bending over to pick up the mat.
Inactivity, particularly sitting for long periods, has been shown to place individuals at risk of increased health problems. Standing for long periods, as well, can increase the risk of particular health problems. To help alleviate these problems, sit and stand desks, which allow a person to change positions throughout the day by moving to accommodate a person in a sitting or standing position, have become popular. Often, anti-fatigue mats are sold in conjunction with sit and stand desks to help make the standing experience more comfortable and healthy for individuals. Individuals are able to stand comfortably for longer periods with fewer negative effects with anti-fatigue mats.
However, current anti-fatigue mats have drawbacks. For example, anti-fatigue mats are not amenable to use with a chair. Even mats with beveled edges to allow easy on and off access of a chair suffer from issues, such as difficulty moving the chair on and off of the mat, and having a chair sink into the mats due to their necessarily soft surfaces thereof. Chairs are difficult to roll around on soft surfaces, such as those essential to anti-fatigue mats, and deformations in the mat may form due to use of a chair on such a soft surface for any extended period of time.
As a result, the normal use of an anti-fatigue mat with a sit and stand desk involves either trial and discontinuation, the purchase of a hard mat that provides little to no benefit when standing, or moving the mat each time a user wishes to change positions. Typically, a user must physically bend over and pick up the mat and move it to another position. This action is required because anti-fatigue mats, like most floor coverings, are made of materials that resist movement of the mat when on the floor, to reduce the risk of a user slipping, tripping or falling due to unwanted mat movement.
Thus, there is a need for an anti-fatigue mat that may be easily slid into a useful position without the need for bending over and picking up the mat and including retention of the basic nonslip characteristics of such mats when in use on a floor.